An “oasis in the city” needs our help

Rock Creek Park is an oasis of nature in the middle of our city, but nature in a city needs a lot of human help to thrive.

Rock Creek Conservancy has identified five “mini-oases” where it is focusing its restoration efforts over the next two years. By 2020, it aims to show “what a fully restored forest can look like,” and apply what it’s learned to restoring the rest of Rock Creek Park.

The mini-oasis in Melvin C Hazen west (image courtesy of Rock Creek Conservancy)

Rock Creek Conservancy says this spot has been invaded by invasive species:

The area currently houses a large variety of invasive plant species including an almost 100% distribution coverage of groundcover English ivy. The site also features bush honeysuckle and a large swath of bamboo directly south of the community garden.

Restoration efforts through this summer will focus on removing the invasive plants to prepare the site for native species planting this fall.